By Martin Banks - 26th January 2010
The EU is functioning and operational in Haiti
Karel De Gucht
New EU trade commissioner Karel De Gucht has hit back at claims that the EU "lacks visibility" in the international response to the Haitian earthquake.
Addressing parliament's development committee on Monday, the Belgian conceded that there was room for improvement in how the EU responds to such disasters.
But he told MEPs that in Haiti the EU was "working properly."
De Gucht, just returned from a fact-finding visit to Haiti, said, "Yes, things can always be done better but I want to assure the committee that the EU is functioning and operational in Haiti."
He was responding to allegations from some deputies that the EU "lacked visibility" in the quake-stricken country.
UK Liberal deputy Sarah Ludford said, "It isn't just about European visibility but operational effectiveness and, so far, I am not sure we have succeeded."
British Tory member Nirj Deva also asked De Gucht whether the creation of an EU-wide special task force could help in such disasters.
He said such a force could provide rapid response by being deployed to places hit by quakes and floods but De Gucht, whose nomination was approved by parliament last week, effectively ruled this out on cost grounds.
De Gucht also dismissed suggestions by Irish centre-right MEP Gay Mitchell that 70 per cent of buildings in Haiti had been destroyed.
The commissioner said, "I have been there and this is simply not the case. The figure is more like 20 per cent. The port is destroyed but areas close by are almost untouched."
Some MEPs also Haiti's debts should not be cancelled. This follows Oxfam's call for cancellation of Haiti's €890m of international debt.
